1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an apparatus and a method of inspecting a defect of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device may be tested using various defect detection methods. The defect detection methods may use a bright field image, a dark field image, a scattering, etc.
As the semiconductor device may have been highly integrated, a defect, such as a foreign substance in a minute pattern of the semiconductor device, may be only several nanometers in size. Thus, it may be difficult to accurately detect the minute defect.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,345,754 may disclose a method of detecting a defect using a light partially blocked by a spatial filter. The method may detect the defect on a pattern having a specific directivity using light partially blocked by the spatial filter.
When light that is partially blocked by the spatial filter is used, only defect detection with respect to the pattern having the specific directivity may be improved. Thus, when a defect in a pattern has a directivity different from the specific directivity that can be detected, it may be required to change an illumination direction of the light in accordance with the different directivity so that a time for detecting the defect in the pattern may be too long.